FR2805910A1 - Method and kiosk for managing access to services available on the internet using an identifier from a prepaid scratch card - Google Patents

Abstract

The method includes the following stages: (a) create a list of identifiers; associate at least a suppliers service to an identifier; distribute to clients scratch cards personalized with an identifier; authorize access to a service in exchange for the identifier inscribed on the card; display list of suppliers which contains for each of them the service offered as well as the form of subscription for accessing the service. In a further stage associate a category of tickets to each subscription type, the distribution of tickets is linked to the supplier. AN Independent Claim is included for a kiosk for managing access to internet services. The kiosk includes an identifier list generator; a supervisor which associates a service to a supplier; a ticket base for the clients with categories for different subscription rates; a controller for the identifier submitted by the client wishing to gain access to a service.; a database of services offered by suppliers as well as subscription types.

Description

The present invention relates to a method and to a kiosk for managing access to services available on an informatic network.

The invention falls within the field of retribution of the service merchant in exchange for access to this service.

The invention finds a very advantageous application in that it allows, through the distribution and management of prepaid scratch tickets, to establish with confidence a transaction between a merchant and a customer, the merchant having a website offering a given service and the customer wishing to access the service.

Currently, merchants connected to a computer network offer different services to potential customers. A potential customer, who wants to access a service, logs on to the network and then goes to a merchant's site. To access the service, the customer usually gives his credit card number or identity along with his address for the invoice to be sent to him. Thus, the merchant is rewarded for the consumption by the customer of the access to his / her service.

However, as far as the customer is concerned, he is reluctant <B> to </ B> communicate to the merchant his credit card number which can be intercepted and used fraudulently, or he sees his identity communicated <B> to </ B> an unknown company with no commitment on its part about the use it will make of it. And, as far as the merchant is concerned, either he may be faced with an invalid credit card number, or he has no assurance that his bill will be settled.

Also, the technical problem to solve by the object of the present invention is to provide a method of managing access to available services. on a computer network, the services being offered by merchants and being intended <B> to </ B> customers, which allows the actors that are, on the one hand the merchants and on the other hand the customers, of establish transactions with confidence.

A solution to the technical problem posed, according to the present invention, is that said method, implemented by a kiosk, comprises the steps which consist in: creating a list of identifiers, <B> - to </ B> associate at least one merchant service <B> with an identifier, <B> - to </ B> distribute to customers < B> to </ B> scraped by an identifier, <B> to </ B> allow access to a service in exchange for an identifier written on a ticket.

In addition, the object of the invention is a kiosk for managing access to the services available on a computer network, the services being offered by merchants and being intended to <B> to </ B> client. The kiosk includes: a generator of a list of identifiers, a supervisor who associates at least one service of a merchant with an icator, <B> - </ b> / A custom scratch ticket base with an identifier, the tickets being directed to customers, and a client-supplied identifier controller to access </ i> B> to </ B> a service.

Thus, the method according to the invention, which concerns the access management <B> to </ B> of the services available on a computer network, allows <B> to </ B> a merchant to offer his service <B > to </ B> consumption by a customer, with the provision by the customer of an identifier <B>; </ B> each service of a merchant being associated by the kiosk <B> to </ B> of known identifiers. To access a service, the client provides an identifier to the kiosk controller and the controller allows or denies access to the merchant's service if it recognizes the identifier. The customer receives an identifier from a distributor in return for financial reward or as a gift; <b> the identifier that has been associated <B> with </ B> one or more services by the supervisor belonging to the kiosk.

The method and access control kiosk <B> to </ B> of services available on a computer network conforming to the invention solve the problem. In fact, the customer pays his consumption in advance by buying tickets <B> to </ B> scratch <B> at </ B> a price displayed during the sale of tickets and, the merchant gets paid by participating <B > to </ B> the sale of tickets <B> to </ B> scratch. When accessing a merchant service, the customer does not have an exchange with the merchant, his only contact is the kiosk to which he provides an identifier. Thus, the identifier being consumable at the same time as the service and the identifier being recognized as belonging to a list drawn up by the kiosk supervisor, it ensures, respectively to the customer and the merchant, a consumption no surprises and a safe payment.

The actual consumption of the service can be confirmed by the merchant at the kiosk. In case of delivery problem of a property associated with a given service, the kiosk can credit the customer's wallet that has been debited for a service not rendered. By eliminating any monetary exchange between the customer and the merchant, the method and the kiosk according to the invention allow the actors to establish transactions with confidence. In addition, the kiosk is paid by the merchants based for example on the number of services it manages for them and possibly depending on the number of access to services.

The process and the kiosk manage the access to the services of the merchants, which allows the latter to be relieved of all the associated management problems.

The process and kiosk can provide clients with portfolio management to relieve associated management issues.

The process and the kiosk are fully adaptable to the different forms of subscriptions that merchants define for access to their services. The adaptation is done by determining as many <B> of </ B> categories of tickets as different forms of subscriptions.

The method and the kiosk also have the advantage of being able to transmit information to customers or to merchants. The transmission of information can be done by registration on a home page during access to the kiosk. These listings may come from the kiosk or from outside vendors that have been rented from the front page.

The method and the kiosk further provide customers with the ability to access the sites anonymously by exchanging an identifier that is initially created by the kiosk without any connection to any client.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the attached figures given as non-limiting examples.

Figure <B> 1 </ B> is a flowchart of a method according to the invention. Figure 2 is a diagram of a kiosk according to the invention.

The process according to the invention is carried out according to several steps described below and illustrated by FIG. 1. </ B>

In a first step <B> 1, </ B> a generator creates a list of identifiers consisting for example of words composed of letters and numbers.

In a second step 2, a supervisor associates each identifier of the list with a service of a merchant, the service being accessible on a computer network. According to a variant of the method, the supervisor associates with several of the services of the same merchant or of different merchants. In a third step <B> 3, </ B> a distributor distributes scratch tickets, which are customized by an identifier and encapsulated to ensure their integrity. Encapsulation is to hide the identifier until it is used.

In a fourth step 4, a controller takes control of a customer who wants to access a service of an available merchant on a computer network and asks for an identifier. The controller queries the list of <B> to which the merchant services are associated and concludes, <B> to </ B> the result of a comparison between the identifier and the contents of the list , if the customer is authorized to access the service.

Figure 2 is a diagram of a kiosk according to the invention.

Booth <B> 5 </ B> includes a <B> 6 builder, </ B> 7 supervisor, <b> 8 </ b> ticket base, and a <B <controller > 9. </ B> Booth <B> 5 </ B> allows <B> to </ B> a customer <B> 10 </ B> to access <B> to </ B> an available service on the computer site <B> 11 </ B> of a merchant 12. The computer site <B> 11 </ B> is hosted for the example on the Internet, but it can be hosted on any other computer network .

Generator <B> 6 </ B> generates a list of <B> 13 </ B> identifiers confidentially. Generator <B> 6 </ B> may be a recognized international organization, intergovernmental organization, or other official organization or company in close contact with Supervisor <B> 7. </ B>

The supervisor <B> 7 </ B> enters into a database the details of the merchants 12, as well as the services they offer. It retrieves from the generator <B> 6 </ B> the list of <B> 13 </ B> identifiers and <B> it </ B> associates <B> with </ B> each identifier one or more services to create a list of <15> </ B> matching identifiers / merchants. The nature of the <B> 7 </ B> supervisor may be the same as that of the <B> 6 </ B> generator and, in particular, the <B> 7 </ B> supervisor and the <B> 6 generator. </ B> can be confused in the same entity, for example a company.

The registration <B> 16 </ B> of a merchant 12 with the supervisor <B> 7 </ B> can be carried out in particular by a writing on a computer site of the supervisor <B> 7 </ B> accessible on the Internet or by any other means, such as sending a letter.

The base <B> 8 </ B> of tickets holds scratch tickets that have been previously customized by an identifier and then encapsulated to hide the identifier until the moment of consumption of said identifier. . To personalize the scratch tickets, the supervisor collects from the merchant the accessible service (s) and the form of the access. The different categories of tickets are determined by the different types of subscription offered by the merchants. Subscriptions are distinguished by their duration, their account, the type of access. Thus, <B> it </ B> is possible to distinguish tickets <B> to </ B> validity period, tickets <B> to </ B> number of limited connections and tickets representing financial power.

Regarding tickets <B> to </ B> validity period, the duration can be fixed and the corresponding ticket is valid for a predefined period of one month for example or, the duration can be slippery and the corresponding ticket is valid for a given period <B> from </ B> from the ticket registration. The duration of access may be extended by a period determined by the merchant during which the service remains accessible to customers but in a degraded form. The ticket can allow access to the merchant site <B> to </ B> one or more customers, it is single or multi user tickets or, it can allow access <B> to </ B> a or several sites of different merchants. Depending on the wishes of the merchant a ticket may require registration, either in a nominative portfolio and access to the service can be done only if the customer gives his contact information at the kiosk, either in an anonymous portfolio and the customer identifies with a login name, or login according to the English terminology and a password. Access can also be done without registration and is immediate after recognition of the identifier.

For tickets <B> to </ B> limited number of connections, the ticket may allow access to the merchant site <B> to one or more customers, these are mono tickets or multi users or, it can allow access to one or more sites from different merchants. Depending on the wishes of the merchant a ticket may require registration, either in a nominative portfolio and access to the service can be done only if the customer gives his contact information at the kiosk, either in an anonymous portfolio and the customer identifies with a login name, or login according to the English terminology and a password. Access can also be done without registration and is immediate after recognition of the identifier. <B> A </ B> Each connection to a merchant site, the kiosk decrements the credit of the customer's account by one. The consumption of the service, and possibly of a good <B> linked to the service, - is confirmed at the kiosk by the merchant. In case of consumption problem, the customer's account can be re-credited.

With regard to tickets representing financial power, the ticket may allow access to the merchant site <B> to </ B> one or more customers, it is mono or multi user tickets or, it can allow <B> access to one or more sites of different merchants. Depending on the wishes of the merchant a ticket may require registration, either in a nominative portfolio and access to the service can be done only if the customer gives his contact information at the kiosk, either in an anonymous portfolio and the customer identifies with a login name, or login according to the English terminology and a password. Access can also be done without registration and is immediate after recognition of the identifier. <B> A </ B> each consumer pays for goods on the merchant's site, the merchant questions the kiosk to check the customer's account balance and order the kiosque to debit the account in order to deliver the goods to the customer. In case of delivery problem, the merchant orders the kiosk to re-credit the customer's account.

The distribution of <B> tickets to </ B> scraping is organized <B> at the instigation of the merchant. The merchant retrieves from the kiosk the categories of tickets that have been allocated to him, and he has printed for each category personalized and encapsulated tickets. To distribute the tickets thus manufactured, the merchant addresses to a distribution network which is in charge of rendering the tickets. The merchant can also give gift tickets <B> to </ B> privileged customers, when buying a product, etc.

The distribution of tickets can be in paper form or in electronic form. In paper form, the ticket may look like a Metro-sized coupon with a scratch-off area to discover the identifier. In electronic form, the ticket can be communicated in a coded file with a decoding key sent by post or by a means of communication such as a telephone. The tickets are sold through a distributor <B> 17. <B> 10 </ B> pays the distributor <B> 17 </ B> the value of the ticket. ticket, and the <B> 17 </ B> dispatcher 20 to the merchant part of <B> of </ B> the value of the ticket. Thus the customer <B> 10 </ B> has a cash exchange only with the distributor <B> 17. </ B> The customer <B> 10 </ B> can also get a ticket <B> to a free title, for example as a gift when buying a magazine, a newspaper or any other product or, when buying a service, such as the management of an account banking, etc.

When it wants to access a merchant service 12, the client <B> 10 </ B> connects <B> 19 </ B> to the Internet <B> to < / B> the address of the ki.o <B> </ b> sque <B> 5. <B> 5 </ B> booth displays a presentation page in HTML format, abbreviation of the terms Anglo-Saxon Hyper Text Mark Up Language on which several options can be proposed <B>: </ B> <B> - </ B> access to merchant services without registration which corresponds to tickets <B> to </ B> free access, <B> - </ B> registration at the kiosk with management of an anonymous or nominative portfolio according to the categories of tickets. In the first case, the client <B> 10 </ B> provides the controller <B> 9 </ B> of the kiosk <B> 5 </ B> with an identifier. The <B> 9 </ B> controller checks the validity of the identifier by querying the <match> identifier / merchant match list and allows or denies access <B> 18 </ B> to the service <B> 11 </ B> or the corresponding <B> 11 </ B> services <B> to this <identifier>.

In the second case, the customer <B> 10 </ B> registers with the supervisor <B> 7 </ B> of the booth <B> 5 </ B> who assigns him a wallet in which are stored his tickets still valid. <B> A </ B> each time a new ticket is used, the customer <B> 10 </ B> writes his ticket in his wallet <B>; to </ b> each subsequent use, he simply login to booth <B> 5 </ B> and select a ticket in his wallet to access the service he has chosen.

Booth <B> 5 </ B> updates the customer's <B> 10 </ B> wallet by removing old tickets.

When a merchant 12 wants to delegate access management of some of his services to the <B> 5 </ B> kiosk available on his <B> 11 </ B> Internet site, he signs up with the kiosk <B> 5 </ B> the <B> 7 </ B> supervisor declares it in a merchant database. Merchant 12 declares at booth 5, simultaneously or at a later date, the services that must be managed by booth 5 and the ticket categories it wants to associate with <B> 5 </ B>. to </ B> his services.

Relationships <B> 16, 18 </ B> between Merchant 12 and Kiosk <B> 5, </ B> and between Customer <B> 10 </ B> and Site <B> 11 </ B > The merchant can be implemented by means of a merchant kit delivered to the merchant by the kiosk.

The merchant's <B> 11 </ B> computer site is not hosted by kiosk <B> 5; </ B> the merchant chooses the hosting location and informs the kiosk.

Claims (1)

<B> <U> CLAIMS </ U> </ B> </ B> </ B> </ B> </ B> </ B> </ B> <B> Management method for access to services available on a computer network, implemented by a booth <B> (5), </ B> the services being offered by merchants (12) and being intended <B> to </ B> customers <B> (10), </ B> characterized in what said method comprises the steps of: <B>: </ B> <B> to <B> (1) </ B> a list of identifiers, <B> to </ B> associate (2) at least one merchant service <B> with an identifier, <B> distribute <B> (3) </ B> to customers of tickets <B> to </ B> custom scratch with an identifier, <B> to </ B> allow (4) access to <B> a service in exchange for an identifier written on a ticket. A method for managing access to services available on a computer network according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of B>: </ B> <B> - </ B> <U> set <B> to </ B> day </ U> a base (14) of merchants which contains, for each merchant, the services that said merchant offers as well as the forms of subscriptions <B> to </ B> his services. <B> 3. </ B> Method for managing access <B> to </ B> of the services available on a computer network according to claim 2, characterized in that the method further comprises the step which consists of < B>: </ B> <B> - <U> to </ U> </ B> <U> Associate a ticket category <B> to </ B> each subscription form. </ U> 4 Method for managing access <B> to </ B> of the services available on a computer network according to claim 1, characterized in that <U> the distribution of the tickets is </ U> <U> performed by a distribution network in connection with the merchant. </ U> <B> 5. </ B> Access management method <B> to </ B> of services available on a computer network according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of: <B> <B> - </ B> <U> subject to registration prerequisites <B> (10) </ U> <U> kiosk <B> (5), <B> to </ B> this client <B > (10) </ B> a portfolio in which he can </ U> <U> register your tickets, </ U> <B> <U> to </ U> </ B> <U> update <B> to </ B> day the customer's wallet <B> (10 ) </ B> by deleting the </ U> <U> perimeters. </ U> <B> 6. </ B> Access management method <B> to </ B> the services available on a computer network according to claim 1, characterized in that the distribution of a ticket <B> to </ B> a customer <B> (10) </ B> is performed <B> [ ] </ B> when delivering the merchant <B> (1 </ B> 2) to the customer <B> (10). </ B> <B> 7. </ B> A booth <B> (5) </ B> access management <B> to services available on a computer network, the services being offered by merchants (12) and being intended <B> to </ B> clients <B> (10), </ B> characterized in that said booth <B> (5) </ B> comprises <B> - </ B> a generator <B> (6) </ B> d a list of <B> (13) </ B> identifiers, <B> - </ B> a <B> (7) </ B> supervisor that associates a <B> with </ B> minus a merchant service <B> (1 </ B> 2), <B> - </ B> a base <B> (8) </ B> of tickets <B> to </ B> scratching personalized by an identifier, the tickets being intended for customers <B> (10), </ B> and <B> - </ B> a controller <B> (9) </ B> of the identifier provided by a customer <B> (10) </ B> to access <B> to </ B> a service. <B> 8. </ B> A <B> (5) </ B> <B> access management facility <B> to services available on a computer network according to claim 7, <B> / B> characterized in that said booth <B> (5) </ B> further comprises <B>: </ B> <B> - </ B> a base (14) of merchants which contains, for each merchant (12), the services that said merchant (12) <B> - </ B> offers as well as the forms of subscriptions <B> to </ B> its services. <B> 9. </ B> A <B> (5) </ B> access management <B> to </ B> standby of services available on a computer network according to claim 8, <B> / B> characterized in that the base <B> (8) </ B> of tickets <B> to </ B> scratch includes tickets of different categories <U> associated with </ U> different forms of subscriptions . <B> 10. </ B> A <B> (5) </ B> <B> access management facility <B> to services available on a computer network as claimed in claim 7, <B> / B> characterized in that said booth <B> (5) </ B> further comprises <B>: </ B> <B> - </ B> a home page intended <B> to </ B> each user <B> (10, </ B> 12) when accessing the booth <B> (5), </ B> this page containing spaces <B> to </ B> rent. <B> 11. </ B> A <B> (5) </ B> <B> access management facility <B> to services available on a computer network according to claim 7, <B> Characterized in that the computer network is the Internet network.